Mind Games
by karen12
Summary: So Kagome and Sango get some temporary mind reading abilities. What'll happen? I/K, M/S *sniff* COMPLETE *sniff*
1. and so it starts

Hi everyone! This is my first Inu Yasha Fanfic, so please go easy on me! I accept all reviews, and am all for constructive criticism and suggestions. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. Nope. 

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Mind Games

"I'm hungry!" Shippou complained. The group had been wandering through the forest all day, and finally came up on an abandoned village on its outskirts. It was about dinnertime, and all of them were hungry. 

"As soon as we set up camp, Shippou, I'll make us some ramen, okay?" Kagome tried to pacify the kitsune child. He nodded, trying to be as patient as he could be. Kagome smiled at him with pity, and fished out a small lollipop from her bag. "Here, this ought to hold you over until dinner," she told him. They reached the village gates, and entered. 

"Hello?! Anybody home?!" Kagome called. Inu Yasha sniffed the air.

"There ain't no one nearby," he said matter-of-factly. They looked closer at the village. It was completely deserted, and appeared that it had been deserted for a good couple of months now.

"I wonder why they deserted this town," Sango said quietly to Miroku, who was standing by her side. She looked around. It was a beautiful spring afternoon: not too hot, not too cool, and the sun was beginning to set over the tops of the hills to the west. A faint breeze wisped through town and encircled the visitors. Miroku drew a breath.

"Most likely, they ran out of resources. Maybe they hunted all the nearby game or the nearest river dried up," Miroku suggested. Kagome nodded in agreement at his answer. She remembered reading about settlements having to desert their homes in lieu of major resource depletion. She looked around at the forest, and wondered if that was what actually happened. 

"This looks like a decent spot," Inu Yasha said as they came up to a decent sized house. They entered, and set up camp in the main room. 

"Now there's just the matter of firewood," Miroku said, his stomach growling. 

"Hey Sango, let's go get some wood. The forest is pretty close- branches should be easy pickings," Kagome told her best friend.

"Let's go!" Sango replied. The two girls exited the house, and headed toward the forest. Miroku and Inu Yasha watched them as they left. Shippou ran outside and began to chase butterflies excitedly, hyper from the sugar candy Kagome had given him.

"Do you think we should let them go by themselves, Inu Yasha?" 

"Relax, Miroku. It ain't like they're going to the hot springs." Miroku let out something like a 'Feh.' Inu Yasha snorted. "Besides, I haven't smelled any demons around, and Kagome hasn't been sensing any shards. They'll be fine." Miroku seemed to accept his reasoning.

"Speaking of jewel shards, maybe we should think about where we are going to go next." Inu Yasha nodded, and the two boys turned back inside the hut to talk.

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As Sango and Kagome entered the forest, they began to talk.

"Tell me, Kagome. Why do you suppose men can never openly show their true feelings, and always try to make excuses for themselves when they do?" Kagome immediately thought about Inu Yasha, and how he always blamed his emotional softness on his human side. But she knew what Sango was asking.

"You mean, why is Miroku a hentai sometimes?"

"Yeah," Sango laughed. "I mean, sometimes it seems like he really wants to talk to me, but in the end, it seems like he just uses intimate conversation as a means to…"

"To try to feel you up?" 

"Uh huh," Sango nodded. Kagome laughed, and bent over to pick up a branch from the forest floor. Neither of the girls noticed a faint glow from the treetops above them.

"I don't know, Sango. But while we're on the topic of things we wish we knew, here's my question." Sango nodded at her to continue as she began to pick up some more firewood. Kagome stiffened a little bit, as if she just remembered she forgot to do something. She looked around cautiously. "OSUWARI!" Nothing. "Okay, good." Sango chuckled at Kagome's methods of making sure Inu Yasha was nowhere around. "Well, remember when Kikyou stole my jewel shards?" 

"Yes," Sango said painfully, remembering the vision of Miroku and Inu Yasha dead at Kohaku's hands. They had all had visions of their greatest fears, and that was something that she dreaded above all else.

"Well, when Inu Yasha saw her, he seemed for awhile like he was going to protect me against her. But any other time she comes around, Inu Yasha acts like he has to be with her first and foremost. Like he…" Kagome gulped. "Like he still loves her." She let out a sigh. The glow above the girls grew brighter. "I just wish I could know how he _really_ feels- one way, or the other." The girls fell silent, filled with their own thoughts as they continued to pick up fallen branches.

What they didn't notice was a miniscule sprite demon hovering above them, listening to their wishes. She overheard them as they entered the forest, and followed them as they picked up branches from the forest floor. Her golden hair swirled around her face and shoulders as she thought of a way to help these girls obtain their wishes. She sat down on a leaf to think, her sparkling wings gently opening and closing. Finally, an idea struck her fancy. She snapped her fingers and flew off, ready to set her plan in motion. She fluttered above the girls and released near-imperceptible dust from her wings. Giggling happily, the sprite proceeded to fly off into the forest.

*****************************************************************************

Kagome and Sango returned to the village with armfuls of firewood. Shippou was still playing outside, and upon seeing Kagome and Sango coming up the hill, he ran toward them. He was still a little hyper from the lollipop Kagome gave him earlier, but the effects were beginning to wear off. Kagome smiled at Shippou. She heard his little voice complain of hunger pains. Shifting her firewood bundle to one arm, she knelt down and patted his head. 

"Don't worry, Shippou, we'll eat soon." She heard him plead for another lollipop while he waited. "No, you can't have another lollipop. It'll spoil your dinner." She rolled her eyes at herself. '_I'm beginning to sound like my mother_,' she thought. Looking down, she noticed Shippou's confused expression. 

"How did you know I wanted another lollipop?" he asked. 

"You said you wanted one while you waited for dinner, didn't you?"

"I…" he stammered, "I didn't think I said that out loud…"

'_It must be nice to have a mother_,' Sango thought to herself, after hearing Kagome's remark about sounding like her mother. Kagome stood up and looked at Sango.

"You don't have a mother?" Kagome asked.

"Huh?" Sango was taken aback. It was almost as if Kagome heard her thoughts. She looked down at Shippou, who looked even more confused than before. He looked up at Sango for answers, but found none. They stared at each other for about five seconds in mutual confusion. Finally Shippou chalked it up to sugar high, shrugged, and ran off. "Ka- Kagome…" 

"What's going on here?"

"Did you just hear my thoughts?"

"Did you say 'it must be nice to have a mother'? " 

"I _thought_ it, but I didn't say it."

"Well, why did you think it?" Kagome was desperately trying to get to the bottom of this confusion, and Sango could practically see her brain working.

"Because… because I heard you say you are beginning to sound like your mother."

"I.. Sango, I didn't say that out loud." 

"But, I heard you."

"Well, lets try this: why don't you think something, and I'll see if I can hear you."

"Okay. Here goes," Sango began to think in sentences. '_Hi Kagome! Can you hear me?'_

"YES!" she cried. "Now let me try!" '_Sango, can you hear me?'_

"Oh wow, Kagome, this is so… cool!" Kagome nodded excitedly, mouth open in awe.

"And Sango, I think it works on other people. I heard Shippou complain that he was hungry, but he says he didn't say a word." 

"I thought I heard that too," Sango commented. "Something must have happened to us in that forest."

"Well, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. You know what this means, right?" Sango looked at her companion and then toward the hut. She nodded slowly, and looked back at Kagome.

"It means the wishes we made in the forest will be granted. We will be able to tell what Miroku and Inu Yasha are thinking."

"Eep!" Kagome squealed with delight, but her delight quickly dissipated into fear. What if Inu Yasha really didn't care for her at all, but only kept her around because she could sense jewel shards and only tolerated her because she looked like Kikyou?

_'Don't worry, Kagome,' _Sango thought to her friend. _'He likes you for who you are. You'll see.' _Kagome smiled.

_'Thanks, Sango.'_ Kagome remembered that Sango could hear her thoughts as plain as day, and although embarrassed that her thought was read, she was thankful for the encouragement. 

They reached the house and entered it, ready to put their newfound powers to use.


	2. the PLAN

Disclaimer: Nope. Not now, not ever.

[Authors note] Aack!! I'm all freaked out now... so many reviews!! Well, I hope you um, enjoy this chappie. This is going to be a kinda short story, so those of you who wanted it to be to the point will get your wish.

...but not this chapter...

Previous chapter:

They reached the house and entered it, ready to put their newfound powers to use.

*****************************************************************************************

Chapter 2

Sometimes when people are around each other for a long time, they just don't have anything to say. That seemed to be the situation as Kagome prepared the ramen for the group. They all sat in silence, until the food was ready. Shippou wanted to squeal out of happiness that the food was finally ready, but wasn't sure he should, because everyone was being so quiet. Sango and Kagome shared glances, and decided to begin to try their hands at mind reading.

Kagome looked at Inu Yasha. He was not slurping the ramen down as quickly as usual. In fact, after each slurp of noodles, he would stare off pensively into the void. 

'_What is he thinking, I wonder?'_ she thought, and began to probe his mind. What she found were not cohesive thoughts, as she expected. No, in fact, it was a vivid picture of a battle scene. It was almost like watching a movie. Everyone was fighting: Sango was attacking Naraku's poisonous insects while Miroku was fending off bloodthirsty wolves. Shippou was on Kagome's shoulder and she had an arrow pointed at Naraku. The eyes through which the scene was portrayed moved downwards to a pair of clawed hands, and Kagome realized that she was seeing the battle through Inu Yasha's eyes. There was the Tetsusaiga, and as she looked up, there was the wind scar. Inu Yasha's glance went back to Kagome, to make sure she was alright. As Kagome watched, she felt Inu Yasha's enormous emotion and concern for her safety. 

Sango watched as Kagome fell into what seemed like a trance, and decided that she would see what this mind-probing thing was like. She looked over at Miroku, who was calmly sipping his tea. She stared hard at him, wondering what she needed to do to be able to read his mind. Suddenly, all was black around her. She could see nothing, and hear nothing. But she felt an overwhelming anxiety over Naraku and an urgency to find and vanquish him. 

Inu Yasha was the one to break the silence. As he broke away from his thoughts, Kagome broke away as well. Inu Yasha's gaze volleyed between the girls. "Why are you two so quiet? Usually you're the ones who won't shut up," Kagome and Sango instantly looked at each other.

"Um, we don't… have… anything to say?" Kagome offered.

"Feh, I find _that_ hard to believe," 

"I agree." Miroku chimed in, resting his teacup and saucer on his leg. "You two are usually the talkative ones. Did something happen to you in the forest?"

"N-no, of course not. We just got firewood. Just firewood, and came right back." Sango replied. _'Kagome, we've got to get out of here,'_

'_Right!'_ "Uh, well, you know, um, I've got to go… use… the restroom. Be right back!" Kagome said, and abruptly jumped up and speed walked out the door.

"I'll uh, go make sure you don't get attacked!" Sango said, and followed quickly after her. Miroku and Inu Yasha stared open mouthed. Shippou continued to chow down on his bowl of ramen.

"Well, that was…" Inu Yasha began.

"Abrupt?" Miroku finished Inu Yasha's sentence.

"Yeah," he said, still a little confused at what exactly just happened.

*******************************************************************************

"Phew, that was close," Sango panted. The girls had run all the way to the opposite side of the village. They hadn't meant to run so far, but they were pumped so full of adrenaline that they didn't realize how far exactly they were running.

"Yeah, seriously," Kagome huffed. "So," she began with a smile, "did you try mind reading on Miroku?" 

"Yeah. Did you try it on Inu Yasha?" 

"Yeah. What did you find out?"

"It was strange. I didn't hear thoughts, like I expected. Instead, I felt intense emotions. But it wasn't what I was looking for. I want to find out more."

"I know what you mean," Kagome agreed. They remained silent for awhile longer, catching their breath. "I've got it!" Kagome seemed to shout at the top of her lungs. Sango just about had a heart attack.

"Ai! Don't scare me like that, Kagome!" Sango patted her chest, hoping to calm her heart down from the surprising outburst.

"Sorry," Kagome waved at Sango. "But I just had an awesome idea! If it actually works, we can probably find out whatever we want." 

"What are you talking about? How?" Sango was all ears.

"I once read about something called a 'dreamscape.' It was fiction, of course, but I wonder if there may be some truth to it."

"Dreamscape?" Kagome nodded, and began to explain.

***

"It sounds like fun, if it works," Sango told Kagome when she was finished explaining her idea.

"Yeah. I just hope it does. I'm not exactly sure _how_ it all works, but I think that we'll be able to fly it by the seat of our pants." 

"Hm." Sango nodded in agreement. "We should probably get back to camp. Miroku and Inu Yasha are bound to come looking for us if we don't come in soon. It's already dark." Sango was right. The sun had fully set, and all they had to see by was the light from the stars and moon.

It wasn't long after their return that the gang proceeded to fall asleep. It was no surprise; they were all tired from their long journey that day.


	3. the Dreamscape

Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Sorry if there was any confusion... pfft...

[Author's Note] hehehe... oh my goodness, sorry you guys. I didn't realize the last chapter was so short! All your reviews made me realize that I could have done so many other things with the storyline... I just hope you are all satisfied with where I am taking it.. I got like, a billion reviews for the first chapter and none for the second, so I'm a little bit worried. Anyway, please let me know what you think!

Well, here is where the story finally begins. And okay, now, there may be some OOC-ness, but its only because we're dealing with dreams, which is where everyone acts a bit more openly, because they don't feel like they need to hide behind façades. Anyway, that's my excuse. Well, this is a little bit longer than my last two, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride!

Previous chapter:

All are asleep, and Kagome and Sango are ready to investigate the "dreamscape" idea.

Chapter 3

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Kagome looked around, hopeful that her idea would work. She called it "dream-wandering," where a person can go in and out of other people's dreams. She remembered reading a short story about it, and hoped that there would be some truth to it. She was pleasantly surprised. She found herself in a corridor lined on both sides with Japanese sliding doors. As she passed each one, she saw that there were names corresponding to each entrance. She read each name carefully, lest she pass Inu Yasha's entrance. After about five minutes of walking down the seemingly endless hall, she found his door. She took a deep breath, and slowly slid the door to reveal the dreamscape.

Sure enough, it looked like a dreamscape Inu Yasha would have. She found herself in Kaede's village, and could see the shrine and the Goshinboku tree from where she stood. She was behind some bushes, and instinctively ducked down a bit when she heard someone coming. 

"Finally, a way for me to become all demon at last," came a familiar voice. It was Inu Yasha. Kagome watched as he flew through the air away from the shrine. Just as he landed in front of the Goshinboku tree, Kagome heard someone else. 

"Inu Yasha!" she heard the whiz of an arrow cut through the air, and thud into Inu Yasha's chest. He slammed into the tree, dumbfounded. 

"Ka-Kagome? No, it's- it's Kikyou!" Inu Yasha said to himself. Kagome stared in horror at the scene laid before her. Inu Yasha dreamt of his betrayal? 

'_Even though he looks so peaceful on the outside when he sleeps, it seems as though he can never be fully at peace. Not even in his dreams,' _Kagome thought. She snapped back to reality- err, dream reality when she realized that nothing else was going to happen in the dream, and that Inu Yasha was due to wake up. '_Not now, you don't! I haven't found out what I want to yet!'_ and with that, Kagome jumped out of the bushes and ran toward Inu Yasha in an attempt to free him from Kikyou's sealing arrow. "Inu Yasha! Hold on! I'm coming!!" 

"Kagome? What are you doing here?" Inu Yasha sounded as though he had this dream many times before, and in none of them had Kagome ever come to his rescue. 

"I'm here to help you," she told him hurriedly as she made an effort to remove the arrow. He simply stared at her, dumbfounded. She smiled, but watched his eyes quickly move to something behind her. Kagome knew what was about to happen, and braced herself for the impact. She felt smooth, cool wood swing around her neck and pull her back. It was Kikyou's bow.

"Girl! Keep out of this! You don't know what is taking place here!"

"I know enough," Kagome choked. "Kikyou, Inu Yasha isn't your enemy!" But Kikyou wouldn't listen. She jumped on Kagome's back in an effort to pull her away from Inu Yasha. "Kikyou-?" was all she could manage to eke out before she toppled over backwards on top of her. Inu Yasha, unable to move because of Kikyou's sealing spell, watched silently, mouth agape. He wasn't quite sure whom he should root for. Kikyou released her choke-hold, and pushed Kagome off of her. In a matter of seconds, they were both on their feet, resuming the battle. Inu Yasha watched as they fought; Kikyou swinging her bow at Kagome, and Kagome trying to avoid her attacks while at the same time leading her away from Inu Yasha.

**************************************************************************

Sango was in complete darkness. 

"Wha- where am I? Kagome?" As if to answer her first question, a dim light began to grow to reveal her location. A long corridor appeared before her, with doors on either side. She slowly began to advance down the hallway, taking note of painted names beside each entrance. Sango looked for "Miroku." She finally came upon one door whose paper slats emanated more light than the others. She looked at the name. It was Miroku's dreamscape. Sango stopped before the door, and slid it open.

The door opened to reveal a beautiful garden belonging to a small cottage. She stepped through, and turned around to close the door. She gasped as the door, now closed, began to fade away, replaced by a wall of the cottage. She gathered her wits, and turned back around to face the garden. She began to walk along a pathway that lead through the elaborate vegetation, and realized that she was no longer wearing her usual pink and green kimono. Instead, she wore a white silk kimono with lavender trim. Her hair was also hanging freely around her face and shoulders. Sango shrugged, glad that it wasn't anything more revealing, considering whose dreamscape it was. 

She continued along the path until she came to a clearing. There she saw a large field of wildflowers in the distance, and on the outskirts of the garden, several flowerbeds. She stepped forward, and stopped. There he was. Miroku. His back was to her, and he was kneeling down, tending some flowers. Sango smiled as she heard him hum a pleasant tune. She watched him as he dealt tenderly with the plant, and noticed that something was a little off. The rosary around his right hand was missing. His air rip was gone. She shifted her weight slightly, and as she did so, her kimono brushed the long tresses of a nearby fern. Miroku heard the sound, and turned to face her.

It was almost as if he was in slow motion for Sango. Her eyes moved from his right hand, which she had been staring at intently, up his toned arm, over his muscular shoulder, to his dazzling smile. Sango had never seen him smile that way before. It wasn't his usual hentai smile. He seemed to have lost all of his cares and worries, and was genuinely happy. She realized she was staring, and tried to speak.

"H-houshi-sama?" she asked.

"Sango!" he exclaimed happily. Miroku was up from the ground in a second, and standing before her. "Wow, you look exceptionally beautiful!" Sango looked at him quizzically and then at herself. She began to blush. This was the first time Miroku had ever complimented her in a non-hentai way. 

"Uh-"

"Oh, here, these are for you," Miroku handed her some flowers that he had gathered from the beds he was just tending. 

"Thank… you…" she said, unsure of what else she could respond with. She decided to simply remain silent.

"I'm so happy you have decided to stay here with me," he began. "After Naraku was defeated, I was worried I'd never have a chance to see you again." 

"Miroku," she stammered, "what's going on?"

"What do you mean, Sango?" he asked, concern showing in his dark eyes.

"I mean, why aren't you being…" she remembered that it was only a dream, and continued, "…your normal hentai self?" Miroku laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. Sango glared at him, waiting for a response. He realized he wasn't going to get out of this situation without an answer, and his hand dropped to his side. Looking toward the field, Miroku hastily grasped Sango's right hand in his left, and began to drag her quickly in that direction.

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Kagome had managed to lead Kikyou away from Inu Yasha, and they were now headed towards the village river. Soon, they were almost out of Inu Yasha's pained gaze. Kagome was relieved, but Kikyou hadn't noticed the distance she and Kagome had made between themselves and Inu Yasha.

"Stay out of things you don't understand!" Kikyou raised her voice, still cold and collected, but reprimanding and calculating nonetheless.

"You just *duck* don't get *duck* it, do you?" Kagome was getting tired of dodging Kikyou's attacks. "Stop it!" she finally yelled, and lunged forward at Kikyou before she could ready herself to make another strike. Kagome jumped onto Kikyou, wrapping her arms around Kikyou's shoulders, in order to prevent her from using her arms. Kikyou dropped her bow, and staggering backwards from the force of Kagome's lunge, toppled (along with Kagome) down the embankment into the river, out of Inu Yasha's sight.

Kagome surfaced, looking for Kikyou, but she was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, her head jerked back violently. Someone was pulling her hair. Kagome just _knew_ it was Kikyou.

"Oh, you did NOT just pull my hair!" that was the last straw. Kagome whipped around in the water to confront her, but was faced with a rather strange situation. Kikyou was fading. Literally.

"Listen, girl-" she noticed the look of bewilderment in Kagome's eyes, and looked down at herself. "Wh- what's happening to me?" Kagome just stared at Kikyou as she disappeared into nothing. As Kagome swam to shore, she thought about what just happened. 

'_Maybe because we are in Inu Yasha's dream, and because Kikyou was just a figment of his dream, she ceased to exist when she left Inu Yasha's sight.'_ She laughed to herself, proud of the out-of-sight-out-of-mind explanation at which she arrived. She reached shore, and ran as fast as she could toward Inu Yasha and the Goshinboku tree.

"Here!" she grunted as she pulled the arrow from Inu Yasha's chest. Now that was done, it was time to put her plan into play. "Inu Yasha- I'm sorry. Ki-Kikyou-- didn't make it." Kagome winced, not wanting to see his reaction to her news. She waited for the raised voice that never came. Instead, she felt herself be wrapped in warmth, and her cheek was pressed against the soft cloth of Inu Yasha's haori. She opened her eyes and found herself in his arms.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, as if he didn't hear what she just said.

"Um, yeah," she replied, awe-stricken. "But Inu Yasha," she pulled back from his embrace enough to move her head to look up at him. "What about Kikyou?"

"You're the most important thing right now," he stated softly. "I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you from her. This isn't the first time she's attacked you." Kagome gazed into his warm amber eyes.

"I-Inu Yasha," she said softly. Then she remembered. This wasn't real. Dreamscape. Then she got an idea. After all, he wouldn't know _she_ wasn't a dream…

"Inu Yasha," she continued, "there's something I need to tell you…"

=============================================================

[Author's note] Mean? Yeah, I know. Sorry. I had it a little differently at first, but *sigh* it's so much better with a good cliffie. Don't worry, though… in the next chapter I'll give you all some resolution! 


	4. the telltale hearts

Disclaimer: Wow, I feel really bad for those people with like, 20 chapters. Man, they must get tired of typing these things. As for me, I am pretty fresh, so I will do it. I do not own Inu Yasha. If I did, I would actually write this story in the manga, or make it a part of the anime, or something. Maybe.

[Author's note] *PHEW* EEk! 58 reviews?? Cool! I'm so excited!! I was allll worried... I got all those reviews for the first chapter, and then like, four (no, I'm not kidding) for the second. So I was a little hesitant to put up that third chapter, but you guys all seemed to like it pretty well. The bad thing is, I think I'm realizing that a cliffhanger means "more reviews." So, um, prove me wrong, and let me know how you like this chapter, yeah? Plus, I'm being really really nice and giving you all some nice resolution.

Okay, so I surprised myself. I really didn't think I was that into writing about Sango and Miroku, but man, I got all carried away… Well, please enjoy! I hope this is what you all wanted!

Previous Chapter: 

In Miroku's dreamscape, Sango just asked him why he's such a perv, and he's procrastinating by leading her out into the wildflower field.

In Inu Yasha's dreamscape:

Then Kagome remembered. This wasn't real. Dreamscape. Then she got an idea. After all, he wouldn't know _she_ wasn't a dream…

"Inu Yasha," she continued, "there's something I need to tell you…"

*phew* Here goes!

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"Inu Yasha, there's something I need to tell you…" Kagome began, still held loosely in his arms. She looked up into his concern-stricken golden eyes.

"What is it? What's wrong, Kagome?" he asked. Kagome smiled weakly at the thought of what she was about to do. She took a deep breath as he silently urged for her to continue.

'_He seems so much more caring in his dreamscape,' _she told herself, trying to muster up enough courage to continue speaking. "Well, here goes," she said quietly to herself, forgetting that her volume made no never mind to Inu Yasha. "Inu Yasha," 

'_this-is-only-a-dream-this-is-only-a-dream-this-is-only-a-dream,'_ she told herself for courage.

"I-I know you're not my _boyfriend_ or anything, but," 

'_this-is-the-only-way-to-find-out-how-he-feels-this-is-the-only-way-to-find-out-how-he-feels-this-is-the-only-way-to-find-out-how-he-feels,' _Kagome felt herself buckling under pressure. _'Come on, girl!'_

"But I really like you." She breathed. "There, I said it." She looked at his face expectantly, prepared to hear his typical 'Feh, whatever' line. She however, was shocked out of her mind at how he actually reacted.

"Kagome." He was shocked, plain and simple. He didn't know what to say. Kagome could sense this, and didn't like the idea of sitting around in silence after just proclaiming her feelings to him. So she decided to go for broke, and continue on.

"But before I really invest myself in caring like _that_ about you, I need to know where you stand with Kikyou." Inu Yasha's eyes widened. He was going to have to make a decision between Kagome and Kikyou. Right here, right now. Kagome continued, "I'm afraid, Inu Yasha. I'm afraid of her taking you away. Not from me, exactly, but from this world. And I want to know where you stand with her before I really begin to give in to my feelings about you."

Inu Yasha stared at the lovely young girl before him, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight that had managed to filter through the canopy of the trees. She looked much like she did any other day, except that she was still soaked to the bone from her fight with Kikyou. The wind blew past them, making her shiver. He instinctively pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her for warmth and protection from the wind. And that was when he realized his decision. And that he had already made that decision long ago without being aware of it.

"Kagome," he began, looking past her, over her head that rested on his chest. "Do- do you remember when we faced Kikyou and the tree of illusory fear?" He felt her nod her head against his chest, and continued, still staring forward. "I replayed the incident- when Kikyou betrayed me, and I her. And as I held her, bleeding in my arms, I realized that there was someone else besides her that I needed to protect." he used his left hand to draw Kagome's chin upward to face him, and he looked into her eyes. "It was you. I realized then, that Kikyou no longer needs my protection, and that although Kikyou and I were once kindred spirits, we were never in love." Kagome began to look back down at his arm, which had returned to her waist. "Even though I may only show it when I'm human, I- I care for you, Kagome. Somehow, without my ever noticing it, I began to need you near me. I know now that I want to be with you forever, Kagome." Kagome was melting in his arms like butter, when she remembered all the times she had been hurt as soon as Kikyou showed up around Inu Yasha.

"But what about Kikyou? The next time she comes around, are you going to drop me for her again?" Inu Yasha sighed, finally aware of what he had been putting Kagome through all along.

"I understand now. At first I was confused about how I felt, but now I know. My responsibility to Kikyou- my commitment to be with her- was relinquished upon her, albeit untimely, rightful and true death. Now my only responsibility to her is to see that she is put to rest once more." He paused shortly, and then continued. "But it's _you_ I want, Kagome." Her stomach filled with butterflies, and she knew she was blushing fiercely. "But I don't want you to be in danger because of how _I_ feel…"

"Inu Yasha," Kagome began, before he ruined the moment, "I know you'll protect me no matter what. You'll only end up hurting me and pushing me away if you think like that. I know you wouldn't mean to hurt me, but…" Inu Yasha's eyes sparkled as he saw the truth in what she was saying.

"You're right." Kagome looked at him confusedly, wondering at his sudden revelation, and his admittance of such. But, hey, it _is_ a dreamscape, right? Inu Yasha continued, "I swear, Kagome," Inu Yasha pulled her even tighter to himself. He placed his forehead atop her head, and continued softly, deeply, passionately, "I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to never hurt you like that again. You mean…everything…to me." Kagome squirmed a bit in his unmoving embrace, and managed to free her arms. She looked up at him and wrapped them around his neck, locking her fingers together underneath his flowing, silver hair. Smiling, she returned his embrace. And there they stood, Kagome and Inu Yasha in each other's arms. 

**************************************************************************

Miroku's pace had slackened considerably. He and Sango were now amidst a slew of wildflowers; pinks, yellows, purples, blues, and greens. It was truly a beautiful sight. Sango was indeed surprised that Miroku's dirty little mind could construct a scene as beautiful as this.

"It's so beautiful here," she remarked to herself more than anyone else.

"Yes," Miroku responded, "but it doesn't compare with _your_ beauty." Sango at first was very flattered, but then realized that this is Miroku talking.

"Don't play games with me," she warned, forgetting for an instant that this was his dream. Miroku looked a little hurt.

"Sango-"

"Miroku, you never answered my question. You are _so_ confusing sometimes!" She looked at his face, which was riddled with confusion, and then turned back to face the horizon. "You seem to not understand why I have reservations with accepting your compliments?" He nodded, this being one of the few times in his life when he didn't know what to say. Sango paused, trying to find a way to properly word what she had been wanting to ask him for so long. "The reason for my reservations about you is that you haven't _once_ had a decent conversation with me without acting like it was just a way to lay your hentai hands on me," she finished, reminded of her frustration with their relationship.

"O--oh." 

"Tell me, why is it that you act in that manner?" Sango turned her eyes away from the horizon, and rested them on his handsome, albeit surprised, face.

"The- the truth is, Sango, that I am just as bad as Inu Yasha when it comes to expressing my _true_ feelings." He looked at her, hopeful that that was the answer she was looking for. He sighed when he realized that she expected him to continue. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and looked around him.

'_The flowers aren't going to help you out of this one, Miroku,'_ Sango thought. A smile played upon her lips as she watched him fidget uncontrollably. He finally came up with something.

"Well, it was never hard for me to be flirtatious. My grandfather and father were both fairly…_amorous_ priests, and I guess it was just expected that I would follow in their footsteps." Sango continued to look at him. She was finally beginning to understand the monk's thought processes. Miroku didn't notice any kind of satisfaction in Sango's expression, so he continued. "At first, it wasn't so hard, being…"

"A lecher?"

"Well," he didn't deny it, but he wasn't about to call himself that. It went against his code of 'self-worth-preservation,' as he liked to call it. As he drew a breath to continue, Sango smiled, aware of his thoughts. "But after I met you, Sango, it was all just an act. And-," he was getting carried away with himself. "And I never asked you to bear me a son, because when I _do_ ask you, I want it to mean something special, and not just something of no particular consequence." He looked directly at Sango, taking her by surprise. A faint hue of red appeared across Sango's cheeks. She hadn't expected this. "And, I do plan to ask you, Sango." Miroku looked steadily at Sango now, as if to prove to her his serious intentions. She was now blushing furiously.

"Houshi-sama… I…I had no idea," she said softly. It was now her turn to look at the flowers for moral support.

"Didn't you?" Sango looked up at Miroku in wonder. "Sango," Miroku reached for her hands. He held them firmly, tenderly, and clasped them dearly to his chest. "You are one of a kind. A unique, intelligent, strong, lovely woman." He gazed deeply into her eyes. Although this was a dream, Sango couldn't help but feel as though Miroku had actually been planning to say these things to her for a long time. "And now that my wind tunnel is gone," he said, smiling, but not removing his gaze from hers, "I would like to settle down and start a _real_ family." Sango gulped. She knew what was coming. To her, it felt like _she_ was the one who was dreaming. "Sango," Miroku continued, unwavering, "Please, will you start a family with me?"

He breathed. 

Sango didn't notice until now that he had been holding his breath that whole entire time. He was looking at her expectantly. This dream seemed so real, that she found herself seriously considering the prospect of marriage with the houshi. She snapped out of it.

'_Why not?' _Sango thought as she tried to get over the shock of what she just heard from Miroku's lips. '_After all, this is a dream, and dreams are supposed to be pleasant, right? Besides… he'll never know that I'm really me…'_ She nodded slowly. "Miroku," she began, "it would please me greatly to marry you and…" she smiled at the handsome young houshi, "…and *cough* bear *cough* your children." She was about to laugh hysterically, not believing that she could get through Miroku's coined phrase without incident, but she quickly sobered when Miroku squeezed her hands gently. He removed them from his chest, and placed them around his neck. He moved his hands down her arms and around her waist, pulling her into him. Frankly, she was surprised- his hands were at her waist, and well, that is where they stayed.

"I love you, Sango. I have for so long, now," he whispered into her fragrant hair.

"Miroku," she responded softly.

"Shh," he quieted her. He pulled back slightly to look at his bride-to-be, and touched a finger to her soft lips. "Don't say anything." Sango relaxed into his embrace, and Miroku drew her face closer to his. He brushed his lips against her smooth forehead, and looked again into her eyes. Next, he landed almost imperceptible kisses on each of her eyelids, and again looked into her eyes. He raised his eyebrows. "May I have the pleasure of kissing lady Sango?"

'_He's actually asking? Now there's a change,' _she thought to herself. But she quickly realized that now was _not_ the time for sarcasm. "Yes," was all she could manage to verbalize. Miroku smiled softly, boyishly, and closed the distance between their lips. Sango closed her eyes and fell victim to the sweet, tender kiss Miroku had longed to share with her.

=============================================================

[Authors Note] *sigh* Well, how's that? After so many cliffies, I hope this one gives you all some resolution! 


	5. escape to reality

Disclaimer: No. Don't own it, and probably won't own it. Must you rub it in?

[Author's note] Oh. My. Goodness. Eighty-some reviews?? Hhehee... now I know what all those authors were saying about being "review junkies." Anyway, I think there's going to be about two or three more chapters, for those of you who are wondering. I'm going away for the weekend, but I should be back to update by Sunday night. Enjoy!!

Previous chapter: We had some MAJOR fluff going on between both Inu Yasha with Kagome and Miroku with Sango. Let's see how it all pans out.

Chapter Five

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Miroku pulled back from the kiss. It was amazing. It went above and beyond what either of them had expected. Miroku smiled, watching Sango as she recovered her wits and regained her coherence of thought. She swayed a bit, her head still spinning from the myriad of sensations Miroku's words, hands, body, and lips had given her. She probably would have fallen over if Miroku's arms weren't still wrapped around her form. Miroku tried to stifle a chuckle, but failed miserably. At this, Sango fully regained her bearings.

"What's so funny, monk?" she asked, taking a step backwards away from him and out of his grasp.

"heh, nothing," despite his best attempts, he couldn't prevent his shoulders from rapidly moving up and down due to the force of his suppressed laughter.

"That's it." Sango decided to try to take Miroku's dreamscape into her own hands. She looked down at her silk white kimono, and willed it to transform into her taijiya uniform. '_Now, what's missing? AH!'_ She held out her hand, and her hiraikotsu materialized.

*WHAP*

Miroku lay on the ground, his leg twitching involuntarily in the air.

"If you're not a hentai, you're a jerk." Sango began to walk back toward the cottage.

"Wait, Sango," Miroku had regained consciousness, and had turned himself over on all fours. He began to stand up. 

'_Darn. Faster recovery time in dreams.' _She stopped and turned around to face the monk.

"I meant what I said. Every word." Sango's expression softened. 

"And _I_ meant what _I_ said. If you weren't such a hentai _AND_ jerk all the time, _maybe_ we'd actually get somewhere."

"Maybe you're right. I'll have to try it." 

"You do that." Sango slung Hiraikotsu over her shoulder and resumed her walk toward the cottage. "I'll see you soon, Miroku," she called to him over her shoulder as she, as well as the dreamscape, began to fade into a deep, gray void.

Miroku woke up.

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Although Kagome was enjoying the moment, she realized that Inu Yasha's dream was coming to a close. Sighing, she unlocked her fingers from behind his neck, and ran her hands slowly down his collar bone to rest on his strong, muscular chest. She noticed as she did so, that Inu Yasha's rosary was missing. She smiled, understanding what exactly that symbolized. Inu Yasha was bound to her with something other than the spell of subjugation. He had an intangible commitment to her.

"I need to leave you now, Inu Yasha." Kagome made a move to pull away from his embrace, but he only let out a soft growl, and refused to release her.

"What for?" Kagome had to think quickly; Inu Yasha was due to wake up any minute, and she was a little worried about possibly getting trapped in his dreamscape upon his awakening. She couldn't think of any words, but thought of something just as effective, if not more so. She looked up into his amber eyes, which showed more tenderness than she had ever seen before. Pushing ever-so-slightly on Inu Yasha's chest, she moved up on her tiptoes, and quickly pecked Inu Yasha on the lips. His grip loosened from the shock of feeling her lips on his. Kagome felt this, and took the opportunity. She pulled back, and stepped away from the hanyou.

"I'll see you soon, Inu Yasha," she told him softly, almost alluringly. She began to slowly fade out of Inu Yasha's dreamscape, much in the fashion as Kikyou did earlier. Inu Yasha held his hand out to her disappearing figure. 

"Kagome-" She was gone. "Goodbye, Kagome," he said softly. He sighed, and his dreamscape went black.

*******************************************************************************

When Sango retreated from Miroku's dreamscape, she lost consciousness for a brief moment as her body projection disappeared completely. The next thing she knew, she found herself standing outside Miroku's door, back in the dimly lit hallway. There was no longer any light coming from behind the door, and Sango deduced that Miroku had woken up. The only thing that remained was for her to find Kagome. 

"Kagome! Are you here? Kagome!?" Sango looked to her right and left down the long, seemingly endless corridor. She heard no response, but instead saw a light - a beacon, almost- coming from the end of the hallway, to her right. She instantly headed toward it, knowing there was no time to lose. She had so much to tell her best friend.

*******

Kagome, like Sango, suddenly found herself outside of Inu Yasha's door, in the hallway. Her first thought was to find Sango, and let her know what happened in his dreamscape. And she wanted to hear how Sango fared as well. 

"Sango? Are you around here? Hello?" No response. She felt very alone for a few seconds, before she saw a light coming from the end of the corridor. Knowing that it was a sign for her to follow, Kagome ran toward it. 

*******************************************************************************

Inu Yasha woke up. He was still sitting up, propped up against the wall in the furthermost corner of the house. He sat very still for a few moments, the memory of his dream fresh in his mind. It seemed more real, somehow. 

_'Usually when I dream of Kikyou sealing me to the Goshinboku tree, I wake up just after it happens- after I realize that it is Kikyou and not Kagome. But this time…' _Inu Yasha replayed the dream in his mind. Kagome. She kissed him. He told her he wanted to be with her forever, and she kissed him. He stood up silently and moved over to where Kagome lay. Crouching down beside her, he continued to ponder the importance of the dream. He heard a noise coming from where Miroku lay, and turned to see him lying awake.

Miroku had been awake when Inu Yasha moved past him to look over Kagome. As he passed, Miroku opened his eyes, thinking of the dream he had just woken from. He looked over at where Sango lay in a deep sleep. He smiled, as he watched her inhale and exhale peacefully. 

'_I wonder what she's dreaming of,'_ he said to himself. Letting out a sigh, he began to mull over the possible inferences he could make from his dream. Was there really any truth to what the Sango in his dreams had said? He looked up at the ceiling in thought.

'_I said I'd give it a try… maybe we really will get somewhere.'_ He sighed again, thinking about how he would have to give up the bulk of his flirtatious behaviour. '_Well, I suppose it's worth it…' _ Again, he looked at Sango's sleeping form. Yes, he'd try it. He'd try a change of mind. At least for awhile, anyway. Just to see. 

"Hey, monk," Inu Yasha said quietly. Miroku was too deep in thought to notice when Inu Yasha approached him, and now he was standing directly above his head. 

"What is it, Inu Yasha?" 

"I'm going to go scouting. I'll be back soon." Miroku nodded, and Inu Yasha exited the house. In truth, he wasn't just going to scout out possible routes for travel. He was also going to use the alone time to think more about his own dream. 

***************************************************************************

The light seemed to grow brighter with every step the girls made. When they neared their destination, the light gave off a blinding flash, and both Sango and Kagome shielded their eyes with their forearms. When the flash had passed, they found themselves in a white room. Neither Kagome or Sango could tell exactly how big it was; the walls, ceiling, and floor- if there were indeed walls, a ceiling and a floor- were connected seamlessly. As both girls turned around to inspect their surroundings, they spotted each other. Both of them smiled excitedly.

"Sango, you go first," Kagome told her friend. Sango's smile grew even wider, and she drew a breath to speak. After she was finished, and the girls had their fill of giggles, it was Kagome's turn.

******

"Do you think that they'll really be influenced by their dreams?" Sango asked Kagome.

"Sure. At least, I hope. I think that Miroku is more likely to change than Inu Yasha, though." Sango nodded in agreement.

"Well, I suppose the most either of us can hope for is a slight change in their attitudes toward us."

"What my question is, is now that you know what Miroku is _actually_ thinking, is that going to change how you look at him?"

"Maybe. But I guess it all depends on how he acts. Like what I told him." Kagome nodded in approval of and agreement with Sango's answer. "But what about you? What Inu Yasha said seemed as good as a proposal to me. What are you going to do?"

"The same thing as you are. I know how he feels about me now, but it's a matter of admitting it to himself, and to me." The two girls stared seriously at each other for a few moments before squealing and giggling uncontrollably.

"Well, I'm excited to see what happens. Let's wake up!" Sango said, ready to face the real world.

"Sounds like a plan! Catch ya on the flip side!" was the last thing Kagome said before they both began to vanish from the chamber. 

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didja like it? Well, next chapter we'll see what happens when the girls wake up! Finally we're back in the real world. *sigh* Anyway, please review, and let me know what you think... there's always room for improvement!

~*karen~*


	6. the aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own Inu Yasha. So There.

[Author's Note] *sniff* the story's almost finished… I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad! But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Anyway, here we go… thanks for being patient over the weekend, everyone! It's time to see some aftermath of the whole dreamscape adventuring! Let's see what happens…

Chapter six

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Kagome and Sango woke about 30 minutes after Inu Yasha and Miroku. Both were still a little exhausted from their escapade. 

'_Sango? Sango, can you hear me?' _Kagome thought. No response. What she didn't know was that Sango was trying the same thing.

'_Kagome? Are you there? Hello?'_ Nothing. They turned almost simultaneously to face each other. Although they could no longer read each other's thoughts, they knew exactly what the other was thinking: no more mind reading. Darn.

"Well, good morning, ladies," Miroku smiled mischievously atop his bedroll. Kagome voiced no response- instead, she watched Sango for hers. Sango seemed to freeze in her thoughts. First her eyes moved toward from whence the sound of Miroku's voice came, and then she turned her head- slowly, cautiously- as if she was afraid of discovering the result of her "dream wandering," as Kagome called it.

There he sat on his mat, smiling, his hand waving, and his eyes closed. Sango just stared at him, not knowing if she should say anything. Behind her, Kagome yawned. Shippou rustled out from inside her sleeping bag.

"I'm hungry! Can we eat breakfast?" Kagome smiled down at the kit.

"It seems like all you're thinking about lately is food, Shippou." He looked up at her guiltily. She chuckled. "Well, I do have some pancake mix in my backpack that I've been wanting to use, but…" Kagome eyed Sango and Miroku, whose eyes were fixed on each other in a kind of staring contest. "But I think I need some berries to use for topping." She got up, smoothing down her hair. She took a sip of water from the sports bottle she had packed away. "I think I saw a berry patch when Sango and I went gathering firewood. Why don't you and I go get some, Shippou?" The little kitsune nodded, and they left Sango and Miroku to themselves.

Even after Kagome left with Shippou, Miroku and Sango remained silent. Miroku was trying to figure out what to say to Sango to show her he was trying to change his ways, and Sango was still just a little nervous about confronting him in _real _life. Finally, she came up with the perfect way to break the uncomfortable silence as well as find out if his dream actually had the impact on him she was hoping for. 

"Miroku," she began, sitting up to face the houshi. "What is it that you want most in life?" 

"Nothing like starting of the day with a good philosophical question, huh, Sango?" She tilted his head at him disapprovingly.

'_I'll bet he's going to say that he wants to be surrounded by beautiful women until the end of his days,' _she thought to herself. Miroku's expression softened when he saw that she actually wanted him to give her a real answer.

"What I really want," Sango looked at him expectantly, "Is to defeat Naraku and be freed of this cursed air rip. Then-" he paused, and decided to go on, "then, I will finally be able to have a wife and a family without worrying about the family curse and avenging it." Sango was a little taken aback. He hadn't said what she expected him to say. Suddenly, she flashed back to when she was in Miroku's dreamscape, and what she told him about not being such a pervert. 

__

'Maybe we'd actually get somewhere.'

"Sango, did you hear me?"

"Huh? I'm sorry." She shook her head.

"What is it that _you_ want most in your life?" Sango stared at him, open mouthed, not believing her ears. They were actually having a decent heart-to-heart. She shook herself from her disbelief, smiled, and began to speak. And outside, near the window, was a faint glow where the demon sprite sat, watching.

****************************************************************************

Inu Yasha left shortly after waking. He had hovered over Kagome for a few moments, and then left to clear his head and think about whether or not he really meant what he told her in his dream under the guise of scouting out possible traveling venues. He ran through the forest, and leapt into the trees, jumping from branch to branch until he found the perfect place to sit and think.

He remembered when he was a little pup. His hahaue used to tell him that dreams were always important, and should never be taken lightly. So what did his dream mean? He went over it again in his head for about the tenth time. He told Kagome he wanted her. That he wanted to be with her, protect her, forever. Was it true? Inu Yasha's eyes fell to his lap as he found the answer. Yes, it was true. He did care more deeply for Kagome than anyone else. Even more than he once did for Kikyou. But should he listen to his dream? Should he really tell her his feelings? His mother's words echoed in his mind.

_'Dreams, my little Inu Yasha, are windows into how we really feel about the things in our life. It could be people, it could be circumstances. But remember, they should never be taken lightly. Sometimes the best advice someone can get is from their heart. And dreams are from the heart.'_

With his mother's advice ringing in his mind, he stood up on the tree bough. And he began to scout the terrain for the journey the group had ahead of them.

********************************************************************************

"Kagome, I'm done!" Shippou exclaimed excitedly. Looking down at him, Kagome laughed aloud. His face was covered with sticky juice leftover from the berries he had carelessly shoved in his mouth. "What?" 

"*giggle* Nothing, Shippou. Um, why don't you go drop those off outside the house, and play for a little while? I've still got a few more berries to collect before I'm done. And then I'll be right there, okay?" Kagome looked down at her basket, which was only filled halfway. Truth be told, she was trying to take her time so that Miroku and Sango could have the heart-to-heart that Sango was so hopeful for. '_I hope everything works out for them,'_ she thought as she looked at Shippou nod his little head and scamper away. Kagome's eyes followed the little kitsune until he was out of sight, and then she raised them to the sky above her. '_I hope everything out works for me and Inu Yasha, too.'_ Kagome let out a light sigh full of apprehensive hope, and continued her task. 

After a while, her spirit grew lighter, and she began to hum a tune to herself. Soon she was feeling almost as happy as she did in Inu Yasha's dreamscape. She had been humming for a few minutes, when she felt a familiar hanyou presence nearby. She could tell it was Inu Yasha, but decided not to do anything. Besides, she wanted to see if he would end up saying anything to her. 

*********

She had finally finished filling up her basket, but nothing happened. Inu Yasha didn't show himself. He probably didn't even know she noticed him. Sighing, Kagome began to walk back toward the village, popping an occasional berry in her mouth as she went along. As she walked along, she noticed a medicinal herb Kaede had just shown her a few days back. 

"Hey!" she shouted. She bent down to collect some leaves, proud that she spotted it all by herself.

********************************************************************************

Inu Yasha had finished scouting ahead, and was on his way back to the village when he smelled her. Kagome. He made a detour toward the scent, and stopped when he heard her. She was humming a beautiful melody as she picked berries and placed them in her basket. Inu Yasha silently watched her from the treetops. She looked so happy, so carefree. He remembered doing the same thing with Kikyou. She always knew when he was nearby, and always called him out from where he was watching her. But with Kagome, he could always watch her in peace. It was refreshing to see her move around so happily. But before he knew it, her basket was full, and she began to make her way back to camp. He began to follow her, when she stopped and bent down to pick up an herb. It was now or never.

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[Author's note] wheeee!!! Did you like it? Well, I figure, may as well make good cliffhangers when I can! Right? *silence* _Riiiiight??_ *more silence* Okay, okay. I know, it was kinda mean, making you all wait until after the weekend, and then giving you a pretty wicked cliffie... but, Hm. Yeah, I guess I have no excuse. Well, let me know what you think! 


	7. there's a future!

Disclaimer: *sigh* no. I wish I could write this once, and be done with it. But no. I don't own Inu Yasha. 

[Author's Note] A-a h-hundred forty-five reviews?? You guys are so great!! When I was first getting up the nerve to post this, I had no idea… *phew* Well, I am sad but pleased to say that this is the final chapter for my story. Maybe sometime I will try my hand at another one, or a sequel, or something… Of course, in my opinion, sequels are never that good… Anyway, thanks to everyone who kept me on track and updating and things through reviews. Enjoy!

Previous chapter: Miroku and Sango have their first heart-to-heart, and Inu Yasha was deciding whether or not to reveal his feelings to Kagome. 

"…it was now or never…"

Chapter Seven

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As Kagome prepared to stand, she raised her eyes. Inu Yasha was standing before her. Her eyes moved up his body, going over his legs and up his torso to meet eye to eye. She was surprised to see that he had indeed decided to face her. Kagome could only hope he was going to say something about the dream.

"Kagome," he addressed her as she stood up before him, her face riddled with curiosity. "We… need to talk." 

"O-kay," she said reservedly. Inu Yasha turned to face the same direction as she, and they began to walk together slowly through the forest. Neither of them saw an extra flicker of light appear among the treetops. After a few minutes of silence, Kagome was getting sick of waiting to hear what Inu Yasha had to say. 

"So, what is it, Inu Yasha?" He had actually been deep in thought, wondering at how exactly he should tell her about his dream revelation.

"I… I dreamed something…" he mentally kicked himself for how stupid that sounded.

'_YESS!!!'_ Kagome thought triumphantly. She remained silent, however, lest she break this rare moment of openness. 

"My mother always taught me that dreams are very valuable," he trailed off, again deep in thought. Kagome had to call him back to reality once more.

"What was your dream, Inu Yasha?" Kagome knew full well what his dream was all about, but she didn't want to let on.

"I dreamed of Kikyou-" Kagome shuddered a bit, slightly worried about whether or not his ability to recall dreams was what she had originally hoped it was. Inu Yasha was too focused on recalling his dream to notice. "-And this isn't the first time I've dreamt of her pinning me to the Goshinboku tree. But," he continued, looking at her as they walked, "it _was_ the first time _you've_ appeared." Kagome stopped in her tracks and stared at him, open mouthed.

'_So that's why he seemed like he was so surprised to see me! He does remember.'_ He stopped walking as well, and turned to completely face the girl before him.

"You- you saved me, Kagome. Even though I knew how much you were scared of her, you still fought with Kikyou- to save me." He looked down at the forest floor. "I know it was just a dream, but it made me realize that I needed to make a real and final decision between you and Kikyou." Kagome didn't move a muscle, for fear she might jinx whatever it was he was about to say. "And, in my dream, I made it." He paused again, thinking about just how he could say what needed to be said without compromising his macho exterior. Instead of words, he stepped toward Kagome, reached out, and drew her to him, his cheek brushing against her hair. He smelled fresh, and he was warm and comfortable. Kagome blushed, remembering what she did in his dream to get him to release her. But her thoughts were stopped when she felt his chest vibrate as he spoke.

"My mother, as I said, taught me about dreams. That they are from the heart. And in my dream, I realized that I need you near me." He continued to hold Kagome in his arms, relishing her soft scent and sweet presence.

"But what about Kikyou?" Inu Yasha didn't seem phased by her question. In fact, he seemed to have expected it. 

"My only responsibility to her now is to see her soul put to rest. You-" Inu Yasha trailed off, and then quickly muttered under his breath, "are more important to me." Kagome almost didn't hear. What she _did_ end up hearing was "mo- p-tant- me," but she took it how she got it, and hoped she heard it correctly. Her hands found their way to the other side of Inu Yasha, and she returned his embrace. After what seemed like a few minutes, they released each other gently. Kagome turned from Inu Yasha toward the village, and Inu Yasha watched her do so before following suit. They walked silently for a few minutes before Kagome finally decided to speak. After all, too long of a silence, even between her and Inu Yasha, could get a little awkward after awhile. So, placing her basket of berries and herbs on one arm, she latched on to Inu Yasha with her other. Inu Yasha visibly stiffened, but he quickly recovered so as not to make the situation even more awkward. Kagome smiled at this, feeling his bicep slightly swell and then relax. 

"I'm starving. These berries are for pancake toppings. Are you hungry, Inu Yasha?" she asked innocently. He looked down at her with his sparkling amber eyes and smiled one of his rare smiles.

"Yeah." The two continued toward the village, and a pair of lovely sprite eyes watched from above.

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Inu Yasha and Kagome arrived at the house to find Sango and Miroku sitting around a fire, having a pleasant conversation. A very strange sight, since they would usually find Miroku out cold and Sango polishing her hiraikotsu.

"Ah, you're back," Miroku said, smiling. Kagome smiled in response, and looked toward Sango to see how things were going. The girls exchanged nods and smiles, almost imperceptible to even the demon eye. But neither girl needed to read minds to know what the other was thinking: although it wasn't the romance that they had in the dreamscapes, this was certainly a positive change. There really _was_ hope for a future!

Miroku continued, obviously hungry. "What did you call them? Pan-cakes?" Kagome smiled at Miroku and nodded.

"Uh-huh," she said, and unlatched her arm from that of Inu Yasha. She sat down by the fire with her supplies, and proceeded to make pancakes for everyone. 

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After breakfast, the group of five continued on their hunt for Naraku and the jewel shards. But none could escape the feeling that something strange happened at the village. Whatever it was, it was something good, and they all traveled with lighter steps and happy hearts. From high above, the demon sprite hovered and watched the group depart from the village. She laughed, happily observing the fruits of her mischief. 

Shippou thought he heard something, and stopped, turning around for one last look at the village. At this, the demon sprite muffled her laugh, certain that the kitsune could not spot her on his own. Finding nothing, Shippou shrugged and turned around, proceeding to run off ahead of the two budding couples. The sprite nodded with satisfaction at her work and fluttered off into the forest. The two girls who had wanted so much to know what their men were thinking finally got their wish- not only in the dreamscape, but also in reality.

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The End

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[Author's note] So… final reviews? Tell me what you think! Thanks everyone!! 

~*karen~*


	8. review responses

[Author's note] Well, since so many of you have reviewed, I thought I should probably write something back to you. And I saw some other author doing this type of thing, and it's a very good idea. So here we go!  


Review responses:

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FluffyWolfy- I'd be really happy to read your story! Je te souhaite la meillure de choses!!

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Christykay- hehe… cool ending…

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NightChild0101- be careful, or I might hold you to that pocky offer.

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GL- if Miroku got mind reading abilities… *shudder* I can't continue with that thought…*shudder*

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Laurie Hall- you're pretty much on track.. Good job!  


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Kiriko-chan- yeah, the ooc stuff was because of in the dreams. But thanks for keeping me in line!

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HiaiHakusho- hehe, thanks for the awesome compliments!

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Ali- haha, your willingness to review is really touching.. Almost like a selfless act of sacrifice…hehe

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Assyla- shhh! But how exciting… I haven't gotten that far in the manga yet.

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foxdemon- ooh, you're good. I was thinking about it, but I couldn't pull off the teasing part. Hmmm.

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Merith- your reviews are very helpful and keep me on track. Thanks! 

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EVERYONE- thanks so much for all your reviews.. You really kept me going on the story! And yeah, I'm *crosses fingers behind back* sorry about all the mean cliffies. Really…

Ja ne! 

~*karen~*


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